A detective says :- It's not all luck in real life

A detective says :- It’s not all luck in real life

Hertfordshire Mercury – 02/03/1951

Real life detective officers bear no  resemblance to ” those chaps who appear in the character of decectives on stage , screen and radio ” , said  Detective Inspector P (?) .H. Paybody , of Hatfield , when he addressed members of Hertford Rotary Club on Tuesday .

” It is a punishment for C.I.D. men to reflect upon the amazing  feats of these fictitious detectives when we are faced with a crime it seems impossible to solve . ” he added  ” We say the storybook detectives achieve their results by five per sent luck and 95 per cent inspiration , whereas in our case it is five per cent luck and 95 per cent inspiration . “

The detective officer was not a superior member of the police force in any way . His powers were no greater than those of any constable. He did his duty in plain clothes and almost solely engaged in the detection of crime .

ON THE BEAT

Before becoming a detective officer every man had to serve a period as a constable on the beat . Almost every police recruit wanted to be a detective at the outset of his career , but in many cases this enthusiasm gradually diminishes when he saw the long hours worked by C.I.D. members and the routine of their duties .

Qualifications for a detective officer were intelligence , keen powers of observation , an ability to adapt himself to his immediate surroundings and to know his fellow men . Above all he must be vigilant and have enthusiasm for his work .

There was nothing glamorous about crime . Most of it was sordid and dirty .